Fri Nov 15, 10:00
Sport
ULFT – Bart Bisselink is in his tenth season as trainer of the first selection of the Ulft Badminton Combination, better known as UBC. As the successor to trainer Fred Besselink, he is proud of the club, which has more than a hundred members. He now plays at a lower level due to being a coach for the main team. “I like that, I have to have a racket in my hand.”
By Remko Alberink
Bart Bisselink (44) has been playing badminton for decades, most of which at UBC. “As a little boy I once had to make a choice. I lived in Zeddam and played tennis and badminton. But when I was 8 years old, selection training came into play. My parents couldn’t drive me somewhere every day of the week, so I had to choose.”
It was badminton at ‘t Seepaerd in ‘s-Heerenberg. “But at a certain point there was nothing left for me. I was 13 or 14 years old and wanted to move up. So then I started looking around”
It became UBC in Ulft. “I’m not going to say that I was the best, others made it to the national selection here. However, I have always played in the first or second team at UBC,” Bisselink explains.
Ten years ago, Fred Besselink, trainer at UBC, passed away. “Then I took over. I was still playing badminton at the time. Everyone at UBC learned everything from Fred. The most important thing he always said was to combine fun on the court with hard work.”
Icon
Besselink, an icon within the badminton world and UBC. “But make no mistake, also at the school where he worked, but also when playing football. Wherever he was active, he radiated enormous passion. Fred is still missed by us.”
That does not mean that Bisselink copied everything from Besselink as a trainer. “No, times are different now. I no longer have to do grueling exercises for badminton players who are in their forties. I try to provide training that the players also enjoy.”
When Bisselink looks at UBC, he sees an association with 102 members. “That is the average size in the Netherlands. There are associations with 600 or 700 members, but those are only a few. There are also associations with 30 or 40 members that are having a very difficult time, also around here. For example, finding a trainer.”
Problem
UBC does not have that problem. “All trainers come from within the club, are players from other teams. Things are going so well now that we are looking at training times and training groups. Otherwise we won’t be able to accommodate all the members in the hall.”
By the hall, Bisselink means IJselweide sports hall, home base of UBC. “I see our club as a nice combination of playing with fun and looking a little at the level.”
Bisselink is playing in the third division with the main squad this season. “We have a wide selection and things are going well. The aim is to finish in the top three, but for that we have to have some luck with injuries and fitness.”
The first team includes Dave Bruntink, Koen Rissewijck, Thijs Pothof, Femke Knipscheer, Sharon Bisselink van de Vorle and Linda Holders. When asked about his best moment in badminton, Bisselink mentions a special season. “That was about five years ago. Then we played in the first division with UBC for a year. Then you play against players who spend all day playing badminton, while we train once or twice a week. We enjoyed that with the entire club, which was really special.”
Sport
The sport of badminton is having a hard time in the Netherlands. Bisselink also recognizes this. “That could be because of the image. Yet there are many people who have ever come into contact with badminton. Attention on television is nice, but it is often only the Olympic Games and the World Cup. If there is structural attention, this also has a positive impact on the associations.”
When Bisselink is asked about his wishes for the near future, he immediately responds: “My wish is that we stay together with this club as long as possible.”
In addition to the competition, UBC also organizes various activities. “It is also always nice to see a group of people going to the German Open together. This is separate from UBC, but it does connect people with the same passion. The German Open is a tournament in the Ruhr area where world top players also compete. You are two meters away from the number one in the world in his match against the number four in the world, very nice to experience. See how it’s really done. Sometimes there are two people who watch together, sometimes the group is a bit larger.”
Despite
As said, Bisselink is a proud man. “Yes, I am proud of everyone at UBC who makes it possible for the club to run like this. These are not only players and trainers, but also the people behind the scenes.”
